WORLD-CLASS horseracing looms on the horizon as the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) increases the pot for the races and begins implementing a rating-based handicapping system as a result of its recent membership to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), whose mission is to promote good regulations and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.

The country's governing body for horse-racing has allotted P15 million in prize money, divided equally among the three racing clubs during a 15-weekend stretch which serves as a test run of its new rating-based IFHA handicapping system.

The Philippine Racing Commission is sponsoring six charity races during the last three weekends of August at the country's three premier race tracks for the benefit of the victims of the Marawi City Crisis.

In a resolution signed by Philracom officials at their Makati City office, the board will be helding two charity races beginning on Aug. 13 at the Manila Jockey Club's San Lazaro Park in Carmona, Cavite, followed by two more on Aug.20 at the Philippine Racing Club's Santa Ana Park. The last two charity races will be held on Aug.27 at the Manila Metro Turf in Malvar, Batangas.

Thoroughbreds are beautiful animals and although conventional wisdom dictates that beauty and talent don't necessarily go hand in hand, it's all too easy to ignore when you've got a smallish chestnut standing beside a magnificent colt.

It therefore came as no surpirse that hardly anyone ever gave Sepfourteen a second look when SC Stockfarm opened its doors to yearling buyers in 2015, a boom crop for the then fledging Sto.Tomas, Batangas horse-breeding operation.

As a result of its recent membership with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) will begin its drug-testing protocols on horses today in the final leg of the Triple Crown Series at the Santa Ana park.

"Drug-testing is a sign that we are already world-class racing authority," said Philracom's executive director Dr. Andrew Rovie Buencamino. "We will do the demo in Santa Ana in line with the Triple Crown because we want to drum it up, we really want the public to know that we are serious in this."

Philippine Racing Commission released last week the decision made on horse Money Talks where in all of MJCI Board of Stewards fined five thousand pesos each for "being guilty of gross negligence amounting to ignorance of the rules and dereliction of duty" and given a stern warning that "similar offenses shall be dealt with more severely in the future".